Monday, March 3, 2014

Kerry Kennedy Denies Playing "Kennedy Card" in Drugged Driving Trial

Kerry Kennedy – whose lawyers repeatedly invoked the memory of her late father Robert F. Kennedy and uncle John F. Kennedy during her drugged driving trial – on Monday called accusations that she played “the Kennedy card” all wrong.

She beat the rap after last week’s four-day trial, she insisted, on the fact that she could afford top flight lawyers and was willing to fight the case.

“I think that I won this case for three basic reasons. Number one, I was innocent. Number two, I had competent counsel. And number three, I was willing to bring it to trial. And those are things that many, many Americans have no access to,” Kennedy said on “The Today Show.”

“If your name were Kerry Jones, do you think you would have the same outcome?” host Matt Lauer asked.

“We’ve got to pass legislation which will allow people to have access to competent counsel no matter who they are. For so many people who have misdemeanors, are not able to afford counsel. They can’t go out and hire lawyers and therefore, they plead to something that they didn’t do.”

Note that the subject avoided answering the question, making the question sensitive to her.

Note the pronoun "we" is used in response to a personal question.

When she took the stand she said,

“Daddy was the attorney general during the civil rights movement and then a senator,”

As a 54 year old woman, she refers to her father as "Daddy" under oath.

Her lawyer asked, "Why were you raised in Virginia?"

Kennedy: “I have 10 brothers and sisters. My mother raised us because my father died when I was 8. He was killed while running for president.”

“This is actually the 50th anniversary of the Criminal Justice Act, which was a seminal piece of legislation my father passed as attorney general to assure access to counsel for indigent criminal defendants. We need that in states across our country. We don’t have that in New York state today,” she said.

Eugene Thompson says he was forced to wield his "Legend of Zelda" replica sword in a duel against his girlfriend's estranged husband, according to Click2Houston. He was with his girlfriend at his house in Houston Saturday night when the two got in an argument, and Thompson's girlfriend called her estranged husband and asked him to come over.

Police say the man showed up at about 10 p.m. and the two scuffled. He says he told the man to leave -- but his girlfriend let the man inside.

"I heard him heading to the bedroom where I was, so I jumped in the closet and I grabbed one of my replica swords, and I pulled it out and stood at the doorway, and he was coming down the hallway at me while I was yelling, 'Go away, you don't live here,'" Thompson told Click2Houston.

"He just walked right into the point of the sword, I don't know if he thought it was a toy," he said.

Thompson stabbed the man once in the chest and another time in the leg. He says he sustained a gash in his forehead after the estranged husband smashed a flowerpot over his head. Thompson's girlfriend wasn't injured, Kotaku reports.

Both men were taken to the hospital and treated for their injuries. It wasn't immediately clear whether charges would be filed.

Her use of "Daddy" and then "my father" is interesting. She was only 8 when her father died. I was 4 yrs old when my father died & I often find myself referring to him as "my Daddy" in speech; and I wonder if this is because the progression of Daddy to Dad or something more grown-up was arrested at his death. I have caught myself switching from "Daddy" to "my father" in a conversation, feeling a little embarrassed when "Daddy" slips out.

Just calling attention, mainly for public awareness, of 2 cases of missing female college students- both19. Possible abductions. One in LA, CA (last seen on security film 4 days ago). And other in New Orleans, LA (car trouble w/ possible roadside assistance by motorist / Sun early hrs AM). Also noting bc if worst case scenario, & they aren't found soon- alive & well, could be some forthcoming statements of interest.

Local media sources probably have more info, but just for basic case details:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2571749/Familys-fears-missing-girl-seen-getting-wheel-car-drunk.html(Odd: Father last saw leaving college for nearby home, possibly *drunk??! Last Cell ping was off-route, & far south of home destination)http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2572118/University-student-missing-meeting-man-Tinder.html(Possible link to Tinder dating/social meeting app. A dangerous app, that no doubt is a tool for predators!) -CM

One statement, presumably a cousin of the missing New Orleans girl, clearing up the car/dad/DUI misinformation,,, In comments of article link above:

JeffThrowdown, Picayune, United States, 11 hours ago"I assure you that her father, my uncle, was not the last to see her. Supposedly, the last person she knew that saw her was a coworker that dropped her off at her dorm. Hayley has always been a smart girl, which makes this all the more shocking. Now, please edit the OP. Please."

That said if true, means her cell ping on tower far south of her home, is a concerning detail. I suspect Co-worker is a POI at this point of investigation??-CM

I hope it's ok to post these as it develops, (feel free to delete.) Just thought it might be of interest & practice, still within the first 48 hrs of a missing person's case-- said to be the most vital period of a investigation into. And the best chance of tracking, & for hope of finding a person alive & safe.

StandStrong, Slidell, United States, 8 minutes ago"She is MISSING, and happens to be my son's friend. You should all be ashamed. She left downtown and was headed home. She got a flat tire on the way home, almost to the exit. IF she had been drinking- we don't know that- everyone makes mistakes, and I'm sure none of you are perfect!"> (Wonder if Same "Friend"?? she called re flat tire in article, who seems to have spoken with)

Ok so seems there's confusion as to her last location. She started downtown celebrating? Was given a ride back to dorm by coworker?? Possibly got in her car (silver '02 Corolla), to drive NE home, from the college @ 1:30-2AM? She or the coworker?, had a flat tire at some point? Pings at 2AM & 6AM place her E & S of campus, still in the city on Sunday? Not sure how her dad fits into the equation!-CM

Me too JoAnn. I still call my mother "Mama". Right as I typed that, I realized Mama called her parents "Mama and Daddy" and Daddy did the same. Another prime example of: "We are the sum of our experiences"

My first inkling why she said it was because she wanted to solicit sympathy appearing as a little girl who lost her daddy. Is that what you are saying, Peter? because I'm not sure you are. I'll think about it some more.

The fact that she thought bringing her father and his position into her trial for a DUI is most certainly playing the Kennedy card. I find it offensive that she feels she got off because she had expensive representation not because she was innocent of driving under the influence.

Ok. Maybe calling him Daddy when speaking of his accomplishments implies some ownership of those accomplishments (playing the Kennedy card for sure). He is "my father" in answer to a question about her family, which was appropriate. Still..???

She uses the word "Daddy" when linking him with emotionally compelling topics such as the civil rights movement--this she instinctively senses will probably create emotional vulnerability (towards her) in the jury. She uses the word "father" when attempting to have people recollect his legacy--he died while running for president and he passed legislation to help poor people (this is not quite as emotionally compelling as the civil rights movement). So, she opens up the jury to make them emotionally vulnerable talking about her "Daddy" and then introduces her father's legacy/power/authority.

And also, certainly, she dismantles the jury's consideration that she should be punished by talking about her "father" (authority) attempting to help poor indigent people defend themselves. Psychologically, how do you grt back into the space of wanting to "punish" someone who's father was helping indigent people defend themselves (one then thinks freedom "found innocent) from charges.

Or maybe the very last part is from the Matt Lauer interview. Peter inserted some of the court proceedings in the middle? I still stick by my answer, only just change it so she is influencing the public/TV audience--she has dismantled their consideration to want her punished or to view her as guilty. Very clever. She introduced a psychologically profound image of a poor innocent being liberated from the shackles of injustice. As a TV viewer, you would then be in that psychological space (thinking "freedom, liberation from injustice, not guilty" ). It would take a hardened heart to think "guilty" when thinking of that kind of opposing uplifting image.

"Number one, I was innocent. Number two, I had competent counsel. And number three, I was willing to bring it to trial. And those are things that many, many Americans have no access to"

- You can't have access to being innocent.- everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I don't think she feels that her Number One point had anything to do with the outcome.

"For so many people who have misdemeanors, are not able to afford counsel."I hope this makes sense:- At which point in the process do you have a misdemeanor? From the time you have done something wrong, from the time you are accused, or after the verdict? Is she saying "I have a misdemeanor but I could afford a counsel so I got away with it."- If she means that an innocent person has a misdemeanor after the verdict, she should have said "...people who have misdemeanors, were not able to afford counsel."

Too bad the prosecution was not able or failed to ask her about her family's extensive history of substance abuse and her understanding of the potential misuse/abuse of ambian. At least I would have explored that avenue if she is going to use her family hx since the def. cracked open discussing family. Probably an extreme long shot.

Okay Peter, give it up. What conclusion do you want your students to draw from Ms. Kennedy's verbal strategy? I found this topic to be one I wanted additional related information. I read several more articles leading me to ponder ethical situations often arising in politics. Your post opened my mind to subjects I usually don't gravitate toward.